Pioneers Panel: Pioneers of Digital Art and Animation

From the earliest days of computing, a special breed of technically-savvy artists used the computer to create works intended to be recognized as art. Their artwork and animations were meant to be appreciated not only for technical achievement, but as works with innate aesthetic value.

This SPARKS focuses on the work of artists and animators who worked in the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s. We will learn about their experiences working in a time where software had to be developed and specialized hardware had to be developed or accessed from research labs. These artists and animators were pioneers, inventing new directions despite the resistance of the art and technical communities. From algorithmic art to animation, video and interactive art, these artists legitimized the use of the computer as another tool in the artistic grab-bag of techniques.